02/07/2006 - THIRTEENTH SUNDAY in ORDINARY TIME - Year B
First Reading Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Psalm 29/30
Second Reading 2Cor. 8:9; 13-15 Gospel Mark 5:21-43
One of the questions that frequently pops up in our mind is that which pertains
to the origin of evil. If God is good, why is there evil in the world? If God
is love, why is there so much illness? If God is our Father, shy must we all
encounter death? Occasionally, these questions are asked with humility; other
times, even, in proud or anger. Sometimes, these questions cause us to question
our faith; sometimes, they take us to a place where we see God in a negative
light, as if He were an unjust Being, without love; a heartless master. The
Book of Wisdom, today, begins to give us an answer. Evil does not come from
God, and neither does death. God created man, and gave him life, health and
joy. He created us in His image: He could not do better! He wanted us to have
immortality, and rendered us capable of it: He made us in such a way that we
can always converse with Him, and in so doing, it is always possible to be in
communion with Him.
Why, then, death? And illness? And evil? "It was the devil's envy that
brought death into the world, as those who are his partners will discover".
It is not God that wants evil. It exists because of His enemy.
Still, our questions remain opened, though: how can we resist the devil? He,
being invisible, works against us, without us being able to seize and overpower
him. Yet, God does not leave us without a reply. And His reply is not made of
words, but of actions, just as we all desire!
The answers with which God wants to dissolve our doubts is Jesus! Look at Jesus
walking beside Jairus; observe Him as He glances at the woman who had been suffering
from continual hemorrhage; listen to what He says to those who cause a commotion
and cry. Jesus does not run away when Jairus tells Him of his daughter's imminent
death. The reality of the promised death and the suffering of the parents who
will be alone, without children, do not frighten Him. The woman who is suffering
and in constant danger of dieing, because of her own illness, does not confuse
Jesus! He does not have to do anything for the woman: it is enough that she
touches His cloak, that cloak which is a sign of obedience to the Father. Jesus
is not only the answer from God, to our questions, but He is, also, the solution.
In His presence and with the intervention of His Word, illness disappears and
death goes away, restoring the breath it had stolen!
One thing we must realize. The woman must work at overpowering the strong resistance
within her: she must publicly show her faith in Jesus! Instinctively, she couldn't
do it. Jesus asks this difficult task so that the illness will be completely
overcome. And, before taking death out of the house of the synagogue's official,
he must accept that he was mocked by his faith, as the Lord, Himself, was mocked.
The world accepts the power of death over them; that is why they mock Jesus
and those who turn to Him, with true faith. They submit to the damage caused
by the devil; better yet, they try to make deals with him. But those who love
God welcome the answer He gives, His Son, who came to stay with us. He will
bring more suffering, joyfully partaking with His own, which are the spring
of salvation for all men. Being a believer, the suffering that the believer
encounters will not make him sad, because they are not temptation, for him;
rather, they are an opportunity to create strength and stability, an occasion
of communion with our brothers, who are suffering throughout the world, because
of the lack of faith of others!
St. Paul, today, asks us to pay attention to our brothers. The Corinthians,
to whom he writes, live a more prosperous life: they don't live in poverty,
or worse, in misery; unlike those in poorer areas. They cannot stand by and
see their brothers die of hunger! Those who suffer because of their poverty
have a living faith, strong and unshakeable: they continually raise their hands
to the Father, in faith! If you, who can give, give to them, their faith strengthens
your faith. Thanks to your mysterious exchange of spiritual wealth, given by
the same Holy Spirit, you will take part in the richness of their faith and
of their closeness to God!
Let us turn to the Gospel: the woman began suffering since the birth the girl,
who died at the age of twelve. This coincidence, also, remains a mystery, for
us. But the answer to all mystery is still Jesus! Life, peace and communion
enter in us, when He comes! Alleluia!